Never Perfect

What do we need to know about midlife and how to navigate it? How does wellness intersect with women’s experiences of midlife? Today Beth discusses these topics with counselor Elizabeth O’Brien, the author of “The Power in the Middle”. Check out links to her book at sign up for her monthly  newsletter at her website HERE

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John Wang, a leadership coach, corporate speaker, Podcast host and book author, is on a mission to empower Asian Americans to break through external and internal limitations in order to reach their full potential professionally and personally. Many of them get overlooked for leadership positions in spite of their brilliance and conscientiousness. John’s book, “Big Asian Energy: An Unapologetic Guide for Breaking Barriers to Leadership and Success” was published this month (May 2025) and can be found, along with information about his coaching and his podcast HERE

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Before becoming a high performance relationship coach and gender dynamics social scientist Katarina Polonska struggled in her own relationship journey, calling off her first engagement. And today, this Oxford, trained therapist and relationship coach specializes in helping people figure out when to stay or when to go. She helps individuals as well as couples identify blind spots in their relationships and in their careers. Katarina has a podcast called Successfully in Love and a free 20 minute Masterclass outlining her  “Successfully in Love method”. For more information, check out  her website HERE

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Julie Baumgardner has spent 35 years helping guide people to create healthy vibrant marriage relationships. Almost 28 years ago, she helped launch First Things First, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to helping people have healthy relationships. In this episode,  she addresses some common myths about marriage and shares some of her favorite research and advice, for walking through hard seasons of marriage and why building a culture of appreciation in marriage can make all the difference. She emphasizes the importance of individuals building their own happiness as a way to put less pressure on  their spouse to meet all their needs. Also be on the lookout for Julie‘s new project called “Marriage on the Daily” which should be coming in the Fall of 2025.

Recommended Resources:

- The Mindful marriage (Ron and Nan Deal)

- Hold Me Tight and Created for Connection (Sue Johnson)

- God, Sex and Your Marriage (Juli Slattery)

- Hot Monogamy (Pat Love)

- The Heart of Commitment (Scott Stanley)

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Today Dr. Beth and her husband Remo experience the benefits of Enneagram coaching with Kat Smith, certified Enneagram teacher and co-host of the Enneagram + Yoga podcast.  Kat gives an overview of the Enneagram test and how it helps us in our journey of self discovery and understanding our loved ones better, and how it can help us reframe narratives. She then shares an overview of Beth’s type, which is 7, “The Enthusiast” and Remo’s type, 8, “The Challenger.” if you want to get a feel for what Enneagram coaching could do to strengthen your connection with your partner or loved ones, check this episode out. It’s full of information, insight, and laughter. Kat recommends reading “The Wisdom of the Enneagram “  or “The Road Back to You” if you’re interested in learning more. To book a coaching session with Kat, go to HERE

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Today Dr. Beth and one of her clients (a man in his 70’s) spontaneously record their conversation about nonverbal communication and its impact on relationships. Researchers suggest that nonverbal communication is more important than verbal communication, and comprises 70 to 93% of communication. Today’s conversation stemmed from a comment he made about two tour guides on a trip who didn’t seem to include him. Beth decided to get brave and tell Kim that she had misperceived his nonverbal communication on several occasions, thinking he was angry when he wasn’t… This sparked some soul-searching for Kim and he reflected on his resting facial expression and learned about RBF!

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This is what happens when 3 therapists get together for coffee, and spontaneously invite Beth’s dietician friend Ellie Paulauskaite to join them. Today’s episode is a recording of this fun and informative discussion about body image, fat shaming, and nutrition. Things include societal perceptions around nutrition and body image, emphasizing that being thin does not equate to being healthy. It highlights the necessity for a balanced approach to nutrition, acknowledging the impact of modern conveniences on physical activity and the tendency for people to seek quick fixes for emotional and behavioral issues through medication . The importance of motivation to change eating habits is stressed alongside the need for safe spaces to discuss help without shame. Healthy lifestyle, self love and body positivity are highly encouraged by this group as a whole. With Brittanee Estes, MFT, Sharon Ratchford, LCSW and Ellie Paulauskaite, RDN.

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Today Dr. Beth interviews Jordanne Sculler, a therapist who specializes in relationships, approaching her clients with a “ tough yet compassionate style”.  She challenges her clients to look in the mirror at themselves rather than pointing their finger at others in an effort to “bring the work back to them.” She also challenges the delusion that relationships can be perfect. For her, the heart of effective therapy requires two components: building  a strong bond and challenging clients with pushback. Jordanne says that her hope/goal for her clients (and all people) is 1) to be completely ourselves, 2) to be loved for exactly who we are, and 3) to be healed through this process. Enjoy this conversation with Jordanne and Dr. Beth regarding relationships. Learn more about Jordanne HERE and follow her on Instagram HERE.

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In relationships, conflict is universal and unavoidable because we all have different viewpoints, opinions, needs and irritable moods and poor affect regulation often exacerbate these issues. Conflict itself is not the problem, but how we manage it can cause the problems. Today Dr. Beth shares several examples of common everyday conflicts and issues. She also includes several examples, including one with her 15 year old daughter and a client sharing her recent argument with her partner, both illustrating some classic communication issues. Dr. Beth suggests reviewing a previous episode called Straight Talk.

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Judith Belmont, best selling author of the TIPS series, has been practicing as a psychotherapist for more than 40 years, has recently published her favorite book with 110 cognitive behavioral therapy tips. It’s called 110 CBT Tips and Tools. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an empirically validated treatment for common mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Today Beth and Judith share some clinical examples and stories. Beth also shares one of her favorite metaphors for self-esteem related to varieties of flowers and how they all have their unique traits and beauty.

Judy Belmont wellness

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